Secret Brother (Dollanganger)

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!! I am so very disappointed in this book. It had very little to do with Cory. I feel like I was tricked into buying the book because the last one ended with Cory being alive. I thought it would be his story. Don't waste your money on this one if you are looking for answers. Although I have always been a huge fan of the Flowers books, this has now soured my opinion of VC Andrews books. Obviously whoever the ghost writer is, they are only in it to make money and do not care if the readers enjoy the book or not. BAD STORY LINE, BAD WRITING, BAD BOOK.

Another great book by VC Andrews, part of the Flowers in the Attic series. I love it! This is a new one for me, as I was not aware it was part of the series. But I'm glad I found it. As always, the author spins a tale that sucks you right in.

This book was awful. If you are expecting to learn about Corey's life after the attic, if he remembers his past, if he knew about Cathy's fame, or about Carrie's death, do not buy this book. Now, if you'd like to read the story of an annoying, mean spirited, bratty teenager named Clara Sue, this is your book.
I'm seriously pissed that I kept reading this crap hoping that it turned into a story about Cory.

We find out what happened to Cory after leaving the attic. I don't want to say too much.

This book is not from his point of view, which may have been more interesting. Maybe they have another book in the works covering this, I don't know.

I'm angry because this book is not what I was expecting. I thought this was going to be Cory Dollanganger's story, but no this is Clara Sue Sanders' story. Cory or rather the poisoned boy/William/Count Piro is a very minor character in this book. In fact Cory's character is so unimportant to the plot that he could have been replaced with any injured, abandoned boy and the book would unfold in the same manner. Why resurrect Cory Dollanganger just to tell the boring tale of Clara Sue's grief over the death of her younger brother Willie? It makes no sense. This book should not have been written.

They should have left the original 5 books of this series and moved on. These last three books were a major let down and pointless. I have been reading vc Andrews for 27 years. These were a disappointing few.

First off I will start by saying that I have been drawn to the FITA series since it was first published. I was disappointed that this book was not about Cory's life. Therefore, in my opinion it should have been given a different title. However, I did enjoy the book. Unfortunately it only answered one question.....what happened to Cory after he was taken to the hospital. Now we know.

Secret Brother is actually about Clara Sue and her grief over the sudden death of her brother Willie and her anger over her grandfather's taking in the young poisoned boy into their home. It is full of teenage angst.

The subplot about the result of Cory's abuse is heart breaking. There are still many unanswered questions about Cory. I hope someday the story will finally be told.

I really did like this book but feel ripped off. Is there going to be another addition to the series? I feel like Cory was left stranded. I hope the next time we hear from him isn't when the diary is returned. Because we didn't get to meet him then either.

I have been an FITA series fan since 1989. when I first read FITA. I was always heartbroken over Cory's death but, I just accepted it by the 2nd book POTW. When I learned about the Diary Series giving more insight to FITA by Christopher's side, I was elated and read the 1st book in 2 days. I read reviews on the second book before purchasing it and was so angry to find out Cory was alive and how many reviewers found the book so creepy, I finally read the 2nd book in the series and yes I felt almost betrayed by the fact of Cory is still alive and that it was very creepy. I was so upset over the 2nd book that I didn't want to read the 3rd. The reviews were mixed, mostly negative, but I just thought what the heck you already read the first 2 and I might as well read the last.

I am very glad I did!! Yes the story was not about Cory more about Clara Sue, but how many answers were we really going to get from Cory who was very young when he was shut up in the attic for 3 yrs before he was dropped off at the hospital? How much could he really understand what was going on during that time?

I will say when I started to read this book, I had absolutely no desire to do a review on this book nor give it 5 stars but I did and here is why:

To start off the first part of the book, I absolutely HATED Clara Sue, while I understood her little brother died; I didn't understand her anger and selfish behavior and she was downright mean! It was not until she had a change of heart about the whole situation and really started to look at things differently. Then I understood her. She kind of reminded me of Cathy, with her determination and anger.
Cory was still heartbreaking because you could almost feel his pain in this book because of FITA. He was very important to this particular story as I know alot of the reviewers did not see it that way. Even though Clara Sue dismissed her second encounter with him ( Willie's bedroom) by thinking that she could not get him to trust her, he did take to her more so than she had realized. They were both healing from all they had lost and they did form a bond even if it was slight, it was still there.

The thing is this story took a completely different twist. Finally, one of the four children had made it to a better life that was able to break free from the anger, resentment, and torment of the what happened in the attic. Cory, who only became important to FITA was his supposed death, now is the one who survived and broke the patterns that seemed to seem to plague his family line and be able to grow, flourish, and go one with his life. That is what made this story so great. He had love, acceptance, and people he could trust. He had no need for revenge or anger.

I know that when I found out from the 2nd book that he was alive, My first thought was Carrie's death was for nothing and no one had any disclosure and I was so angry that the author would do that to the fans of FITA but to see that at least one of them made it, was better and that made it a good ending to a series of what I have always perceived to be filled with sadness, now can end on a different but good note.

Secret brother was a great read. I would like to have another book on cory though so we may see how he ends up. A book that would connect the dollganger series and how they re unite with him would be amazing!

V.C. Andrews hasn't written any of the "new" novels/series that have been and currently are still being written, for the past almost 30 years now!! Sadly, she died in Dec. of 1986. Even more depressing, you can tell she isn't the person creating/writing them. They were all written by a ghost writer, albeit one who had a few initial success' with the first book he finished for her, Dawn, (very possibly because of notes left by her) and the next few novels which continued with the characters and storylines she'd already established before she died.

EVERY new novel, in every subsequent series, from then on (up to and definitely including this one) brings further down the literary legacy - of one whos creative, imaginative voice we've heard, loved and expected to find in every character/storyline V.C Andrews gifted and left us behind with. When she died, she left a real hole in the literary world that this ghost writer couldn't even come close to filling and is still unable to do. With every new series the divide between their talents becomes more discernable. For the original VC Andrews fans, it's sad to see a wonderful writers work being denigrated by what seems to be at this point, nothing more than a bid of money and fame at her expense.

After the death of Virginia Andrews in 1986, a public letter written by the Andrews family revealed that the family was "working closely with a carefully selected writer" to continue publishing stories under her name. This letter began appearing in the novels with the first mass market paperback edition of Dawn in 1990.

According to Estate of Virginia C. Andrews v. United States, after the immediate commercial success of Dark Angel in November 1986, Pocket Books pursued a previously negotiated contract with Virginia in which she would write a sequel to Dark Angel for October 1987 and a prequel to Flowers in the Attic for October 1988. When the negotiations took place in October 1986, no one was aware that Virginia was terminally ill. Virginia signed the contract on November 11, 1986, though it wasn't received by her agent until after her death that December, and therefore, the contract was never executed. A footnote in the case order says:

"It appears that Andrews began work on the first book [the sequel to Dark Angel] immediately after signing the new proposed contract because, after her death, the family discovered approximately one hundred pages of manuscript in her residence. None of this text was used in the subsequent ghostwritten books [emphasis added]."

Virginia Andrews wrote Flowers in the Attic, Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, My Sweet Audrina, Heaven, and Dark Angel (and Gods of Green Mountain).
Neiderman wrote Garden of Shadows, Fallen Hearts, Gates of Paradise, and Web of Dreams. It is unclear whether any of these novels were started or outlined by Virginia.
All books after (and including) Dawn were written by Neiderman.

I loved reading every book V.C. Andrews wrote personally and over the years have enjoyed reading them again and again. It's been a real pleasure to share them with a new generation, my daughter and several nieces, who enjoyed them as much as I did when I first read them and eagerly read the next in the series. They, just as I, could tell the difference (as I'm sure most of her fans could) between the novels the ghost writer completed and the first novels in the series she wrote herself. The differences, though, were so inconsequential they didn't interfere with the flow of the reading. I believe the reasoning behind this is pretty sound. These novels, when written were a continuation (or a prequel) of the series she herself had already put her blood, sweat and tears into creating- not necessarily the written words but the character development and story line- so there was more than enough of her "spirit" flowing between the characters and the actual written word that I can say honestly say the few novels written after her death in that series were hers more so than the ghost writers, so the differences between the final product weren't that extreme.

Unfortunately, every new book/series after has paled in comparison. With each successive series the differences in writing styles, character development etc. feels more like the ghost writer is just copying Victoria's "formula". While it's true writers follow a formula, in this case it's feels more like I'm reading a "faded 'Xerox' copy" of another writer's formula, not the "sharp copy" like he'd been given when he started out when he'd had to use what V.C. Andrews gave him. They were her characters, her storyline etc that he needed to follow for those few books that needed to be finished in series she'd already started/almost completed. There was no real work involved on his part.

It's kind of like taking a storybook that a children's authors wrote and picking up where the last reader left off in order to finish reading to a small child. You just copy the way the first person made the monster of the story sound or the way they made an animal sound squeaky etc. finishing the story using the same voices the child expects them to sound like from the way the previous adult made them sound. Does that make sense?? But now he's picked up a book that a child has been read many many times and knows all the characters by heart and if they growl or squeak when they talk etc. Unfortunately all the pages are now blank. You know who some of the characters are but you never heard the story being read to the child and have no idea which animals growl or squeak. And this child will know if he gets it wrong.

Our ghost writer has blank pages that he now has to create characters to fill with backgrounds of their own and they all must have their own personalities. But he has to be sure to include the old characters so the stories connect and remember their background and if the growl or squeak...so to speak. But this time instead of someone telling him if this character snarls or that animal squeaks he has to remember what the other author wrote and needs to get it right. He needs to create not just 1 book but a whole series. Create new characters to fill up pages but keep the old ones in and try to remember all their back history. This time he's on his own. He needs to create interesting characters but have them connect to characters from the other books in a series.

Because the ghost writer didn't personally write the other books he can't know exactly how V.C. Andrews felt about a certain character. Often times authors have whole stories in their heads about what a character is like, their personality, what's driving them, their secret fears that haven't been revealed etc. They've lived with them in their head for months or sometimes years. But they don't write that all down in the book. This is a character they've created so they know it as well as they know themselves. So it's easy for them to write about this character. Even if this character hasn't been in the last two books of a series it doesn't matter because writing about them again is like writing about an old friend. V.c. Andrews knew her characters but the mystery writer only knows what's been already written about them or perhaps has learned something about their personality by getting to know them through the author. But he can't ever know them the way she diid. It's the same with the storyline. I'm sure she had all these thoughts in her head concerning histories of characters or plots she might include. But now she's not around to tell him or answer questions. So all he can try to do is make up his own history or give these well known characters personalities that he thinks would fit them. Unfortunately, I don't think he's been able to "understand" or get into Victoria's "head" as well as he thought he could.

After those first few books the ghost writer just didn't write a book that felt like it was written by VC Andrews. He's not able to pick up where she left off. I guess I'm like that little kid and I want him to know if the monster growls or the animal squeaks. I don't want a mediocre substitute. I want the REAL thing and if I can't have that then it's not worth my time trying to pretend that Its good enough. It's really not. Maybe it's because it's not really his story. It's hers. Those first few novels he had to complete for her were easy because he had 3 books full of information to basically "write" the book for him. When the time came for him to create something totally new, with new characters, a new story line etc. yet involve characters from books he didn't write or have intimate knowledge of?? Well, It didn't work, at least not for me. All the books after those first few feel flat, not 3D. In my option this is because he is writing about someone else's characters, trying to stick with an already established series of books by another author. He didn't create these characters. He trys to copy them.and that is how it read. Like a flat copy. It feels forced and most of the time I feel as if he doesn't truly know the characters he's writing about, what they're thinking below what he only saw on the surface. What's driving them or the history of the people he is attempting to write about.

I guess it's fair to say we are getting farther from the VC Andrews' characters we loved to read about and get to know on a personal level because this author doesn't know who they are personally. It's as if he's read about them instead of creating them which, I guess, in many ways is true. And like I said earlier. With each successive book the characters, the storyline..everything... are less and less V.C. Andrews and more and more a very poor imitation of a great writer. Her memory deserves better than that. Her talent in creating a very different kind of book should be given greater respect.

I truly believe the family originally tried to find a ghost writer because they wanted to continue her legacy, but now it's become more about making money than writing a quality novel to the man that got the "job". I don't mean to be judgmental, but it's past time for him to let go of her coat tails and stop using her name to fill his pockets. The books he's written under her name should be changed. Instead of saying by V. C. Andrews they should all be changed to say that they were written by a ghost writer going by the name of Andrew Neiderman.

More importantly, it's way past time for her family to let her original life's work speak for itself. To allow a person to gain wealth and fame using V.C. Andrews' unique ability to create a work of fiction in this genre, a man not even close to being an author of her caliber while allowing him to drag down her name with his own inferior ability?? To every author who had to work hard to get where they are. Using their own name, their own ability as their only reference in their attempt to reach greatness. She achieved it, only to have her name hijacked by another, given permission by others so that they could reach more quickly the joys of success by which others could only achieve through hard work, determination, rejection, years of frustration and sellout. To allow them to get there not by their own pain, tears or suffering but to, in essence, steal it by stepping on her hard earned achievement in order to get there more quickly without knowing the sacrifice it takes to reach that pinnacle?? To me this is a disservice to every writer who had to rely on themselves to reach their goal. It's a disservice to Victoria.

That's just my opinion, but there are so many more loving fans of the REAL VC Andrews than I was unaware of (until I started reading reviews of the books written in the past 30 yrs) enough to convince me, hopefully her family as well, that it's time to put a stop to the "train wreck" that has tried for way too many years to dissuade us of our belief that we wernt missing out big time on the REAL deal. We miss her: the depth of her characters, the story lines infused with her own special uniqueness and mostly the REAL heart and soul of the woman that showed us; with every word, sentence, page, chapter and finally with every novel she gave us, that she loved what she was creating as much as we loved being a part of the adventure she'd created. She's greatly missed.

I have been reading The VC Andrews series since day one. This is the final straw for me. I will NOT waste any more time or money on these books. I have not been happy with the stories the past few years because its nothing original, predictable and boring but I am terribly dissappointed in this particular book because of all the hoopla and promises it was suppose to bring with finally having the answers to this family. If I could give it negative 5 stars I would. I'm done reading this author for good.

Happily, I checked this out of the library when I saw it. I was very excited seeing that it was an extension of the first family. I don't keep up with these books so much, so I didn't know about the other extensions.

I love V.C. Andrews and even loved the ghost writers until now. I have read 3 families and parts of two other ones.

This book was not great. The writing wasn't even similar to Andrews. If it didn't have the name on it, I would have never connected the two writers. At least the other writers chose a similar story plot to what Andrews started.

The story itself, I feel, was unnecessary. It didn't really complete the story and was mostly a waste of time to read. I have satisfied with Cory having died. I don't mean happy about it, but I accepted it as part of the story line. This mocks Andrews' story and cheapens it by taking away a large chunk of the early sadness for the family. I feel like they wrote it just to make some more $. I can't think of another reason to have done this book. If you want to complete your reading of the books, then by all means read it. But borrow or check it out from somewhere. It's not worth buying and you're collection of the books is not incomplete from not having this book in it.

Poor VC Andrews should be spinning in her grave, then making plans to crawl on out and eat whatever brain she can find in her publishing company. Her ghost writer has not only made a living with her name, he has committed a heinous crime::he has destroyed a powerful novel with a "truth" that does not make sense...

Seriously...Carrie DIED from her grief. Knowing her brother was still alive is just a slap in her face. Her life could have turned out differently! Then, Cory could not tell about his brothers and sisters? He was a twin! How could he not have sought get out? And then! Pardon me while I slap someone, a fake skeleton to torment people into believing there was a murdered child? I've got more, believe me, but let me just say, this ghost writer needs to pack up shop, shut off his computer, and stop screwing up VC Andrews' original, talented, artistic work. May she rest in piece despite the blasphemy of this novel.

First off,
I am A huge VC Andrews fan, I've been a fan since at least 8th grade.

But this book is terrible! Really! First of all Clara Sue (Not Clara Sue Cutler :/ ) is annoying and whiny. She's probably more whiny than Giselle (Ruby's twin sister) and that's saying something. This book infuriated me to no end. ESPECIALLY when Clara Sue's Grandpa found out about Christopher, Cathy and Carrie. I couldn't believe him! He just found out. He didn't do anything to make sure or see that they were okay! Cory was frickin poisned!!! Are they serious!?! Then they didn't say anything about his past. There was maybe one paragraph about it. It infuriates me to no end!!!

Then here's the funny part, Cory never saw Cathy on TV? Really? She was world famous, you think he didn't remember her doing ballet in the attic? He never walked past a newspapers stand and saw her on the cover? Then Carrie commited suicide for nothing? Really imagine how terrible Cory is going to feel. There are so many plot holes!!

This book is terrible. The only good thing to come of it is when I turned it into the used book store for store credit.

This book was incredibly frustrating.

I love the Dollanghanger series and I was excited to see how Cory's story might continue. But since this book is 369 pages of Clara Sue bitching and repeatedly thinking the same thoughts time and again, I feel cheated. This didn't have to be part of the series at all, it could have been any child they happened upon in the hospital and it wouldn't have changed this story at all.

The story I was promised didn't happen. It wasn't badly written, it just wasn't about Cory. I was hoping at least in the epilogue they'd tell us how he grew or if he ever saw his siblings again. Or how Corrine's therapist knew where he was for Kristin and Kane I bring him the diary. Something. But sadly it didn't deliver even that.

Aside from that disappointment, there's Clara Sue's relationship with Aaron. She pushed him away and then acted like they broke up because all he wanted was sex. While that probably would have happened, the guy was there for her when she needed him so I feel like that could have ended more naturally not just abruptly like it did.

I'm just really disappointed.

This book seemed like a poor effort to hitch a ride on the Cutler-Dollanganger train. While neither series is related, the name "Clara Sue" came from the unpleasant, overindulged girl in the Cutler series who was stuffed with a sense of entitlement. A Dollanganger character makes an appearance in this book.

Other U.S. reviewers said they were angry because this book was not what they were expecting. It is obvious and no spoilers here that the boy brought into the story and raised as "William" is really Cory Dollanganger. (In Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger) the REAL V.C. Andrews tells readers of Cory's fate which doesn't seem realistic. People who have worked in law enforcement and anybody who has ever encountered the fetor of a dead person say that there is no other odor to compare it with; it is a distinct and individual stench. It is also one that is not easily contained or cleared and is quite pervasive. One would think that in Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger), other characters in that Mausoleum of Madness otherwise known as Foxworth Hall would have found the stench unbearable and would never have left a corpse there for future evidence.)

This book completely throws Andrews' work out the door. Clara Sue Sanders, 16 loses her brother William, 9 to a car accident in late 1960. Ever notice how many Andrews' and Neiderman, writing as V.C. Andrews' characters get killed off in car accidents? Since it is clear right off the bat that the boy introduced into the Sanders/Arnold family is Cory Dollanganger, that in and of itself is not a spoiler. The story centers around Clara Sue, an orphan whose parents died in guess what? A car accident! She is being raised by her widower grandfather and his house staff. Cory, aka William becomes part of the household when Clara's grandfather takes in a boy who was dropped off at the hospital by a mysterious person. When Clara's brother dies, it is her grandfather who steps up to the plate for the boy who was poisoned.

This is a ridiculous story. Most writers are territorial about their characters, but unfortunately V.C. Andrews left no directive in her will, assuming she even wrote one that her work was to end with her and not some ghost writer. Charles Schulz, anyone? Charles Schulz had the intelligence and the foresight to decree in his will that his "Peanuts" creation was not to be continued by anyone after his death. In so doing, the integrity of his work remains intact. Darn shame V.C. Andrews left no such directive.

Cory aka William is not a central character in the book nor does he really move the story along. It is creepy for another author to reanimate a deceased literary character just to attempt keeping an already stopped train in motion. It is as if somebody milked Ms. Andrews' name for profit and wiped themselves on V.C. Andrews' work and legacy to create this ludicrous tale. Clara's loss is the main focus of the story. Her rejection and later acceptance of the boy is trite and predictable.

If it is answers you seek, you will not find them.

You will only learn about Clara Sue.

We can only hope Neiderman will let go of our Flowers and just let them rest. Because he certainly did not deliver "the most unexpected Dollanger story of all time."

I loved the idea of Secret Brother! It was definitely a twist to the Dollanger family and I like the idea that Cory (William) is still alive. Clara Sue is an added bonus to learn about. She has dealt with so much in her young life. She feels sad, angry, resentment, confusion and love. Along the way she starts to discover her true self and learns to accept life as it comes. Very moving!

I was so excited to check this out after reading Chris's journal (the first two books) to maybe see a little bit from Cory's pov. (as in the original five we see some of Carrie's) but nothing is about him except two things. 1) He did "die" from severe arsenic poisoning; and 2) Corrine's dumb @$$ never took him to the hospital, just paid someone to basically do what the hell ever with him. The majority of the book is about Clara Sue's loss of her brother, which is sad, and how grandpa tries to replace him with Cory. Honestly, I feel I could have done better.

In this version we find what really happened to Cory Dollanganger after he was taken from the attic.

While Clara Sue's brother Willie was dying, someone had dropped a little boy off at the hospital. He was poisoned and just left there. He has no family and doesn't remember anything. While Clara tries to come to grips that her beloved little brother is gone, her Grandpa has decided to take over the care of this little unknown who has no one.

What a fantastic read. While I read other reviews who had a problem with the fact that the story focuses on Clara and not the story of the Dollanganger's I loved the fact that they are not re-writing a story written by a beloved author. Having Cory or Count Piro as a secondary character is perfect. This book stands on it's own for those who have never read any of the Flower in the Attic Books/Dollanganger series.

It is a story about a girl with deep loss and the many lessons she learns about herself and the people around her. It is a coming of age story that I can't wait to pass over to my niece to read.

I'm giving it four stars only because it's a good read. But somethings in this book had me bugged and lovers of the dollanganer series will truly know why. The story is great but the ghost writer missed somethings. And you will see what when you read it so pick it up and have a good read.

As others have said, this book was presented to be about Cory after he left Foxworth Hall. However, it was about Clara Sue and the fact that she didn't want him in her grandfather's house. If I could give this book zero stars, I would. It was good for what it was, I don't deny that, but it was falsely presented to the public. Normally I am more lenient on Mr. Neiderman than most, but I'm really starting to rethink that.

This book seemed like a poor effort to hitch a ride on the Cutler-Dollanganger train. While neither series is related, the name "Clara Sue" came from the unpleasant, overindulged girl in the Cutler series who was stuffed with a sense of entitlement. A Dollanganger character makes an appearance in this book.

Other U.S. reviewers said they were angry because this book was not what they were expecting. It is obvious and no spoilers here that the boy brought into the story and raised as "William" is really Cory Dollanganger. (In Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger) the REAL V.C. Andrews tells readers of Cory's fate which doesn't seem realistic. People who have worked in law enforcement and anybody who has ever encountered the fetor of a dead person say that there is no other odor to compare it with; it is a distinct and individual stench. It is also one that is not easily contained or cleared and is quite pervasive. One would think that in Petals on the Wind (Dollanganger), other characters in that Mausoleum of Madness otherwise known as Foxworth Hall would have found the stench unbearable and would never have left a corpse there for future evidence.)

This book completely throws Andrews' work out the door. Clara Sue Sanders, 16 loses her brother William, 9 to a car accident in late 1960. Ever notice how many Andrews' and Neiderman, writing as V.C. Andrews' characters get killed off in car accidents? Since it is clear right off the bat that the boy introduced into the Sanders/Arnold family is Cory Dollanganger, that in and of itself is not a spoiler. The story centers around Clara Sue, an orphan whose parents died in guess what? A car accident! She is being raised by her widower grandfather and his house staff. Cory, aka William becomes part of the household when Clara's grandfather takes in a boy who was dropped off at the hospital by a mysterious person. When Clara's brother dies, it is her grandfather who steps up to the plate for the boy who was poisoned.

This is a ridiculous story. Most writers are territorial about their characters, but unfortunately V.C. Andrews left no directive in her will, assuming she even wrote one that her work was to end with her and not some ghost writer. Charles Schulz, anyone? Charles Schulz had the intelligence and the foresight to decree in his will that his "Peanuts" creation was not to be continued by anyone after his death. In so doing, the integrity of his work remains intact. Darn shame V.C. Andrews left no such directive.

Cory aka William is not a central character in the book nor does he really move the story along. It is creepy for another author to reanimate a deceased literary character just to attempt keeping an already stopped train in motion. It is as if somebody milked Ms. Andrews' name for profit and wiped themselves on V.C. Andrews' work and legacy to create this ludicrous tale. Clara's loss is the main focus of the story. Her rejection and later acceptance of the boy is trite and predictable.

If it is answers you seek, you will not find them.

You will only learn about Clara Sue.

We can only hope Neiderman will let go of our Flowers and just let them rest. Because he certainly did not deliver "the most unexpected Dollanger story of all time."

If I could give this book zero Stars I would! I have never in my life hated a main character more than I've hated Clara Sue what a spoiled rotten brat the horrible narrator of the story. VC Andrews would be so upset that her name was on this book. It doesn't even follow the timeline this setting should be in the 1960s but the writing is more current so it doesn't really make sense and it does not follow a good timeline. I wanted to hear more about Corey story not about the spoiled Clara Sue and what she wants and doesn't want and blah blah blah and not know anything about Corey I was so excited in the finale of the second book to find out that Cory was still alive and that the story would have another Avenue of interest but yet it disappointed severely

Why? Why? It break my heart all over again. There are some things that should never be "re-visited". When I think back to Petals on the Wind, my heart breaks even more for Carrie :( And this story, actually made me angry. Especially considering not much about it is even about the "Secret Brother". It's just another "Should-I-shouldn't-I-have-sex-with-this-boy-omg-my-best-friend-is-jealous-better-ditch-her story. If it had been mroe focused on the boy and trying to figure out his story, rather than her trying to decide if she wants to "cross the Rio Grande", maybe I would have liked it better. But I didn't warm up to the characters at all.
Terrible.

I loved the idea of Secret Brother! It was definitely a twist to the Dollanger family and I like the idea that Cory (William) is still alive. Clara Sue is an added bonus to learn about. She has dealt with so much in her young life. She feels sad, angry, resentment, confusion and love. Along the way she starts to discover her true self and learns to accept life as it comes. Very moving!

I was so excited to check this out after reading Chris's journal (the first two books) to maybe see a little bit from Cory's pov. (as in the original five we see some of Carrie's) but nothing is about him except two things. 1) He did "die" from severe arsenic poisoning; and 2) Corrine's dumb @$$ never took him to the hospital, just paid someone to basically do what the hell ever with him. The majority of the book is about Clara Sue's loss of her brother, which is sad, and how grandpa tries to replace him with Cory. Honestly, I feel I could have done better.

In this version we find what really happened to Cory Dollanganger after he was taken from the attic.

While Clara Sue's brother Willie was dying, someone had dropped a little boy off at the hospital. He was poisoned and just left there. He has no family and doesn't remember anything. While Clara tries to come to grips that her beloved little brother is gone, her Grandpa has decided to take over the care of this little unknown who has no one.

What a fantastic read. While I read other reviews who had a problem with the fact that the story focuses on Clara and not the story of the Dollanganger's I loved the fact that they are not re-writing a story written by a beloved author. Having Cory or Count Piro as a secondary character is perfect. This book stands on it's own for those who have never read any of the Flower in the Attic Books/Dollanganger series.

It is a story about a girl with deep loss and the many lessons she learns about herself and the people around her. It is a coming of age story that I can't wait to pass over to my niece to read.

I'm giving it four stars only because it's a good read. But somethings in this book had me bugged and lovers of the dollanganer series will truly know why. The story is great but the ghost writer missed somethings. And you will see what when you read it so pick it up and have a good read.

As others have said, this book was presented to be about Cory after he left Foxworth Hall. However, it was about Clara Sue and the fact that she didn't want him in her grandfather's house. If I could give this book zero stars, I would. It was good for what it was, I don't deny that, but it was falsely presented to the public. Normally I am more lenient on Mr. Neiderman than most, but I'm really starting to rethink that.

Should this be an Andrews spinoff? Probably not that seems to piss everyone off.

But as a side book, didn't poor Corey deserve some goodness??

Yes, the whole story is odd and a bit nutty but I still enjoyed it.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for my thoughts.
Most readers my age (40's) remember reading the family saga that began with Flowers in the Attic which dealt with four young siblings undergoing unimaginable turmoil as they were locked up by their own mother in her rich parent's vast attic. If you haven't read it, you are missing out on something creepy. Something about the wildness and forbidden love kept young readers such as myself going back for more. The books outlined above are all favorite stories of mine. Once we get to the ghostwritten book releases of this decade there is certainly a different feel and taste to the stories. The gothic feel is gone, and more contemporary vibes are evident as the new characters are introduced into the original saga.

Unlike the previous two Diaries releases, Secret Brother does actually attempt to recreate the past by bringing back an original family member from Flowers in The Attic. And since the review is going to be very hard to write without spoiling it for everyone, I will stick to just how I felt about the book as opposed to a summary of the story.

Firstly, I will say that I am glad I read the book. Secondly, it is not for the impatient. I really wanted something more to be going on, something a little more spine tingling, something that would keep me up at night in the way that Flowers in the Attic had done. Instead, the main character Clara Sue (a name that didn't seem suited to the character) is really bratty and selfish - being told in first person narrative doesn't help with this negativity. The plot consists of how Clara Sue engages with her peers as she deals with the loss of her brother, and then how her relationship with the hottest guy on campus develops. In this respect, I would think that perhaps a true young adult reader would appreciate the novel. The other plot point is the tie-in to the original novel, which turned out to be dramatically anti-climatic. There is an excerpt of the next novel, Bittersweet Dreams, where once again we are whisked off to a whole new set of characters which means there doesn't seem to be a conclusion to Secret Brother. Or is there?

For the die-hard V.C. Andrews fan, this is not a form of gold. I have not read book two (Echoes of Dollanganger) as I was not sent it for review, and review books always have to take priority. I was sent book one, however, and I did read that. I did buy book two, and Secret Brother is being called book three in the Diaries, though Secret Brother can be read alone (provided you've read Flowers in the Attic). I get the sense that the first two Diaries novels should be read together as the second installment continues book one.

At $7.99 a pop, you get what you pay for. An intriguing story, a flashback to your youthful past with the original V.C. Andrews novels, and something to look forward to with the other stories. Nothing will ever be written quite like the originals, but there is a reason why the estate continues to allow the ghostwritten stories: they sell. And the Lifetime movies were pretty good, also.

"His family book's pages were turning as fast as mine were, and all the faces he knew were disappearing, too. Perhaps he and I were more like a brother and sister than I would like us to be." ~ SECRET BROTHER

After reading CHRISTOPHER'S DIARY we expected that there would be more to this unexpected chapter of the FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC story, and with SECRET BROTHER we are able to go back to what happened when Cory was taken away from his siblings Carrie, Chris and Cathy.

Let me just say for those who are die-hard fans of FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and even the book PETALS ON THE WIND you probably are not going to feel the same way I did about reading SECRET BROTHER. For me, though, this story adds a little bit more compassion and humanity to The Mother Corrine, and given the world events we have seen in recent years is not so far-fetched.

In SECRET BROTHER a boy with little hope is rescued from a dire situation about someone who has just lost his own grandson Willie. Moved by his grief and compassion the grandfather takes in the boy and his granddaugther Clara Sue doesn't exactly know what to make of it. Dealing with the loss of her brother was one thing, but to have this new boy in their home---a boy they would call Count Piro---took some getting used to.

What we see in this book is a family trying to move forward after a loss and a boy's journey to life after a tragedy has ripped him from everything he knows. Seen this way, SECRET BROTHER worked for me, and I think it will for anyone who has tried to find their place in the world, especially after an event seems to uproot all that is normal.

Putting aside what we thought after FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC and even PETALS ON THE WIND this book makes for an interesting addition to the V. C. Andrews franchise.

What bothers me is that they play these books up as written by v.c. Andrews. ... They are not her books for years have been finished or all together written by a ghost writer v.c andrews died 30 years ago!

Why? Why? It break my heart all over again. There are some things that should never be "re-visited". When I think back to Petals on the Wind, my heart breaks even more for Carrie :( And this story, actually made me angry. Especially considering not much about it is even about the "Secret Brother". It's just another "Should-I-shouldn't-I-have-sex-with-this-boy-omg-my-best-friend-is-jealous-better-ditch-her story. If it had been mroe focused on the boy and trying to figure out his story, rather than her trying to decide if she wants to "cross the Rio Grande", maybe I would have liked it better. But I didn't warm up to the characters at all.
Terrible.

I didn't read the reviews before I read this book. I love anything written by V.C. Andrews and didn't realize this was the third book in the series. That being said, I really enjoyed reading this book.
I got to the very end before I realized who the boy was. For me it was a great surprise since I thought he had died. Nice to know he got a second chance.

If I could give this book zero Stars I would! I have never in my life hated a main character more than I've hated Clara Sue what a spoiled rotten brat the horrible narrator of the story. VC Andrews would be so upset that her name was on this book. It doesn't even follow the timeline this setting should be in the 1960s but the writing is more current so it doesn't really make sense and it does not follow a good timeline. I wanted to hear more about Corey story not about the spoiled Clara Sue and what she wants and doesn't want and blah blah blah and not know anything about Corey I was so excited in the finale of the second book to find out that Cory was still alive and that the story would have another Avenue of interest but yet it disappointed severely